Since many dock and beam houses were built before the 1950s, not only were the building codes different at the time, but the materials used could simply age and weaken. A unique type of problem for pillar and beam foundations is fluffy, inflatable, or undulating roller coaster floors. Pillar and beam foundations are very common here in the DFW area. If your house has a small footprint, you probably have this type of foundation.
While column and beam foundations are typically very stable, they can develop problems that would require a professional to address them. Here are some common problems, as well as some solutions for them. Sunken, sloping, and sagging floors are common problems with pillar and beam foundations. The type of repair of pillar and beam foundations depends on what exactly the problem is.
The signs are similar to those of other fundamental issues. This includes cracks where the wall and ceiling meet. You can also see cracks in areas with concrete, such as garage floors and basements. If concrete chips or flakes, then that may be another symptom.
This is especially the case with older houses, which often contain substandard concrete made from salt sand. Sometimes contractors try to reduce repair costs by installing wooden wedges to correct a pillar and beam foundation problem. When this wood decomposes over time, the original condition may reappear. In other cases, problems with the installation can lead to failure of the chock.
Whatever the cause, you'll need to call the pillar and beam foundation repair service to replace the wedges before the foundation is further affected. Mold and mildew in your access space are more than just an eyesore. May be a sign of problems due to moisture ingress. If water enters the wooden beams and beams under the house, it can rot the wood and cause mold and mildew to appear.
A company that specializes in repairing low-rise spaces can replace any damaged wood and strengthen its foundation. Most pillar and beam foundations that have leveling problems are the result of the pillars breaking down and settling as a result of a lower mass of wood. As the wood decomposes, the deteriorated area of the wood becomes soft and creates a vacuum between the floors and the solid internal wood. As a result, the dock sits and so does any wooden structure it supports.
Collapsing the pillars can cause the rest of the base to become uneven, leading to cracks and other imperfections. If a large part is damaged, significant support will be needed underneath to reinforce the base while it is being repaired and replaced, so that the house does not collapse. If you decide on a pillar and beam foundation, either by choice or by necessity, keep in mind that no structure is perfect. Today, pillar and beam foundations (sometimes called posts and beams) are not as popular, but they are still the norm in certain parts of the country, especially in areas that receive a lot of rain or are prone to flooding.
The easiest way to determine if you have a slab base above grade or a pillar and beam is to look for an opening under your house, also known as an access space. Done Right Foundation Repair was created more than 20 years ago by Chris Felsing with the support of his family. A professional could use several shoring methods to raise your base to its original elevation and stabilize it there. For this reason, stucco and tile finishes that are very sensitive to foundation movement should be avoided if the homeowner cannot live with the cracks that will result from the performance of a pillar and beam foundation.
We have completed many types of foundation repairs in and around Austin, New Braunfels and San Marcos over the past 20 years. While the advantages of pillar and beam foundations can make it seem like a superior option to slab foundations, there are also many disadvantages that you should consider as well. The idea was that the perimeter wall, or beam, would close the access space (air space) created by the pedestals that supported the wooden beams that make up the floor frame and the wall. Moisture can also penetrate joists and beams, creating the perfect environment for mold and mildew growth.
Prior to the use of conventional slab in flush or floating slabs, the pillar and beam base was the typical foundation built to support a house. Get a free quote for pillar and beam foundation repair from the experts at Align Foundation Repair before it gets worse. . .
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